Legalizing Marijuana in Maine - Research Paper Example

Legalizing Marijuana in Maine Introduction Many states in the USA face large fiscal deficits and stand to gain if they legalize drugs and thus put an end to the expensive war on drugs. In examining the state of Maine, this paper holds that Marijuana should be legalized in the state. Marijuana is the top cash crop in Maine and can generate massive revenues for the state. Representative Diane Russell has taken up the issue at the right time by pushing a bill to legalize and tax marijuana in Maine. She believes that this is the right time to legalize marijuana as the people of the state will benefit a great deal and the state can save an incalculable number of dollars that it spends on preventing citizens from using marijuana, in terms of policing and cost of legal procedures (Billings, 2011). Main Body Indeed, the war on drugs has proved to be very costly, both financially and in human terms, because prohibiting the use of marijuana has not reduced consumption patterns. The circumstances clearly warrant that the policies and law relative to marijuana must be reconsidered. A 2006 report in the Bulletin of Cannabis Reforms states that marijuana is Maine’s most valuable cash crop and that between 2003 and 2005 the state produced marijuana worth about $122 billion. Had the marijuana crop been taxed during this period it would have generated revenue of over $8.5 million every year (Billings, 2011). Marijuana, which is also known as cannabis is consumed by human beings to create a psychological state of excitement, which can also be experienced from other materials that are produced in laboratories or purchased at liquor stores. Comparatively, users of marijuana claim that it creates feelings of calm and relaxation. It is also known that pharmaceutical firms have been making huge profits from medicines made with certain percentage of marijuana, but these are invariably associated with several side effects. The only difference is that medicines and alcohol that create the same feeling are sold legally while marijuana is not. Pharmaceutical firms are making big money selling the so called relief that can also be achieved naturally through marijuana. An argument can be made in this context that the huge profits these firms make in selling such medications should be transformed into tax revenues by making marijuana use legal. According to J. Lewitt, who heads the Maine Marijuana Policy Initiative, the illegal marijuana crop exceeded the conventional crops such as blue berries and potatoes in 2010. He is positive about the legalization of marijuana in Maine when he said "to see this next step actually come into fruition, and to see an elected official who has enough guts and integrity to stand up and tell you what other elected officials say when they're off camera, makes us pretty happy" (Elliott, 2011, p.1). Amongst the arguments given against the legalization of marijuana, the most prominent is that it creates a gateway effect, in terms of the concept that although marijuana may not itself lead to much harm it inevitably leads to the use of stronger drugs such as cocaine and heroin. However, there is no scientific basis for the plea that marijuana acts as a gateway drug. Cultures in regions such as Latin America, Africa, Middle East and Asia have shown no indication of drugs other than the use of cannabis. In fact, the gateway concept was introduced during the 1960s when marijuana became popular as an entertaining drug. But the concept was proved wrong during the 1980s when there was a surge in the extensive use of cocaine, while marijuana use was declining. It has been proved through research that cannabis is a good substitute for alcohol and other strong drugs. Representative Russel says that the black market makes people to talk about marijuana being a gateway drug. According to her, "the market already exists. It's not the drug that's the gateway, it's the drug dealer" (Billings, 2011, p.1). It is correct to say that the only way in which marijuana leads to use of other drugs is because of its illegal status, which encourages marijuana sellers to also deal with other illegal drugs. Marijuana policy experts Fox, Armentano and Tvert (2009) researched on the social practices and laws relative to marijuana and alcohol use and held that using marijuana is a more rational choice as compared to alcohol use because the former is safer. They have rejected many of the government’s myths relative to the harm caused by marijuana consumption. Research conducted by the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington D. C. concluded that if marijuana prohibition is ended, the government can collect sales tax revenues amounting to billions of dollars. The decision to legalize marijuana use would also create a multi billion dollar industry that would generate several jobs. The Group holds that cultural sentiments are now transforming relative to marijuana use, which is why the federal government has drastically reduced penalties for marijuana cultivation and 13 states have already made marijuana use legal while bills in another seven states have been introduced for legalization of marijuana (Fox, Armentano and Tvert, 2009). The government of Maine should take the cue from such developments and benefit from the changing attitudes about marijuana. Lorazepam is a typical example of a drug that doctors prescribe for anxiety as well as other mental complexities. In being a medicine it is implied that it is man made and given that it is prescribed to treat ailments and problems that marijuana users also wish to treat, it is worthwhile to compare the effects and side effects of the two. Both the drug and marijuana lead to almost the same side effects such as enhanced heart beat and change in heart rhythm and both have properties to make patients addicted to them. Both lead to similar symptoms and complications but only one has a legal status. In the context of cost, if marijuana continues to remain illegal in Maine, a great deal of time, effort and labor will be used in implementing enforcement procedures in the state (PubMed Health, 2010). It is known that the use of marijuana has not declined after it was declared illegal. As per the 2006 report titled The Bulletin for Cannabis Reform, Maine “Maine produced about $122.8 million worth of pot a year from 2003 to 2005. A 7 percent tax would have resulted in $8.6 million in annual revenue for the state” (Billings, 2011, p.1). It is obvious that for a state having a $400 million deficit, this extra tax revenue would have made a massive difference to the welfare of its people. If the amount saved from doing away with policing marijuana lawbreakers is added to this, the state will have a lot of money to utilize for public welfare and health programs. It can thus be said that through such measures, Maine can enhance its revenues and there will be lesser need for law enforcement initiatives, thus reducing costs. It certainly pays for Maine to take advantage of its biggest and most lucrative cash crop. Given that cigarette smoking is legal everywhere, an argument can be made by comparing it with marijuana in the context of prohibition. There are a number of similarities between tobacco and marijuana. It has been declared everywhere that cigarette smoking is very harmful for health and could lead to serious diseases such as cancer and other problems such as stomach ulcers, heart disease and lung complications. Leaving the habit of smoking is very difficult despite the existence of several products that aim at assisting in quitting smoking. Here again the only difference is that tobacco smoking is legal while free sale and use of marijuana is prohibited. Therefore, just as cigarette smoking is legally permitted in keeping with the rights of people in a free society, the basic question that arises about marijuana is why it should not be made legal to use. From a philosophical perspective it is understood that people have the right to make their own choices. The government can place restraints on such choices only if people’s choices create risks for others or harm them. However, the concept is not applicable to marijuana because if people can choose to smoke tobacco they can also choose to use marijuana in keeping with their free will. Opponents of legalizing marijuana argue that in addition to the law and order problem and increase in drug related crimes there will be enhanced health and social problems if marijuana is legalized. They hold that marijuana consumption could double if legalized, leading to health hazards, psychological problems and higher instances of drug influenced driving. According to Alexander Datig, who is a popular politician and opposes drug legalization, : "We must not allow the marijuana activists to sell us on the idea that intoxicating people with marijuana is somehow going to help our productivity, make our schools safer, our communities stronger and our lives healthier" (Ghosh, 2010, p.1). Many people that oppose legalization of marijuana hold that if marijuana is legalized it will pave the way for youngsters to experiment with stronger drugs. They cite that as per federal law, marijuana is described as a Schedule I drug, which is not legal and is believed to have no medicinal use. Marijuana does have side effects but does cause harm to the mental and physical wellbeing of human beings, but so do other anxiety medicines such as Lorazepam (NIDA, 2010). This would imply that they should be dealt with in the same manner; either being banned or being made legal. Governments everywhere as well as in Maine impose taxes on tobacco products to add to their revenues. Given that tobacco is addictive in nature and the government is taxing tobacco products, marijuana too can be taxed and more revenues generated after legalizing the substance. In view of the fact that marijuana is the state’s biggest cash crop it makes sense to exploit the abundance for a good objective (Tashkin, 2005). These issues are clearly indicative of the fact that marijuana should be legalized in Maine for medical use as well as for recreation. Legalizing marijuana will save the government lot of money because the War on Drugs involves a lot of expenses. When converted into state law, the proposed bill in Maine will be in opposition to federal drug law, but according to Russell, Maine has already legalized medical marijuana. She categorically said that "We need one state to do it and think other states will follow, then the federal government (will have) no choice" (Billings, 2011, p.1). Every year, the state spends millions of dollars chasing peace loving people who are not criminally inclined but are only interested in getting a high. Such people get stuck up in legalities and land in jail while tax payers have to foot their bill. Citizens have to pay for the cost of attorneys, health care, food, boarding and lodging for these prison inmates, which prove to be an unwarranted burden on tax payers. Millions of dollars can be saved every year if the state stops putting people in prison for consuming marijuana. Moreover, if marijuana is legalized, the government will generate additional revenues through taxation and levies that can be utilized to fund efficient drug rehabilitation and education programs. Another reason for legalizing marijuana in Maine is that prohibiting the drug does not assist in any way; rather more complication is created. Past history and several research studies have concluded that prohibition does not reduce drugs use. Additionally, there are a number of theories that are suggestive about prohibition giving way to increased use of drugs. For instance, one aspect that is not deliberate in the context of prohibiting marijuana is that it is well accepted in schools because it is available. One does not have to be aged more than 21 years to purchase marijuana because marijuana sellers do not care about the buyers’ age as long as they dole out money. In fact, it is more convenient for most high school students to get marijuana than to get alcohol because in being legal its sale is regulated so that kids remain away from it. Conclusion If the government of Maine wants to curtail consumption of drugs it has to focus on initiating honest programs in order to educate youth while initiating measures so that kids stay away from them. The revenues generated from taxes on legalized marijuana should be used for funding health care and treatment initiatives for rehabilitating drug addicts. The present prohibition system does not permit such initiatives towards marijuana and the government is confronted with the problem of wrong propaganda that is spread by vested interests. It should be kept in mind that all attempts to introduce prohibition on alcohol were total failures and that prohibition is not as effective as initiatives of education and treatment, which are much better ways of addressing the drug problem. List of References Billings, R. (April 19, 2011). Portland legislator pushes bill to legalize, tax marijuana in Maine. the Forcaster. Retrieved from http://www.theforecaster.net/content/p-maine-rep, Accessed on 29 July, 2011. Elliott, Steve. (2011). Maine Legislator Urges Marijuana Legalization, http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/04/maine_legislator_urges_marijuana, Accessed on 29 July, 2011. Fox, Steve, Paul Armentano and Mason Tvert. (2009). Marijuana is safer, Chelsea Green Publishing. Ghosh, P. R. (2011). The pros and cons of drug legalization in the U.S. International Business Times. Lorazepam. (2010). PubMed Health, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000560/, Accessed on 29 July, 2011. NIDA, (2010). InfoFacts: Marijuana. National Institute on Drug Abuse, http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html Revised 11/10, Accessed on 29 July, 2011. Tashkin DP. (2005). Smoked marijuana as a cause of lung injury. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis 63(2):92–100. Read More